The Ocean
by Suspension
Summary: Zack and Cody struggle for survival after finding themselves lost on vacation...[Complete!]
1. You come over unannounced

I've had this idea for a while now, and I thought it would be interesting to write. I have outlines for the first few chapters, so we'll see where this goes. Going to write this a little differently..3rd person, of course. It will be completely from Zack's perspective, unless otherwise stated beforehand. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the characters I make up.

**Chapter 1**

It was finally here. The last day of school before summer vacation, and only ten more minutes to freedom. Zack Martin stared at the clock while sitting in his english class.

"Is it ticking slower today?" he wondered as the seconds slowly passed. His english teacher, Mrs. Hancock, was going over the summer reading list, but Zack didn't care. He looked over at his twin brother, Cody, and saw him vigorously writing down everything Mrs. Hancock was saying.

"What a nerd," Zack said to himself, smiling slightly. He snapped his head back toward the clock, thinking about how nice it was to have a twin brother. They shared everything; right down to the book list that Mrs. Hancock just finished going over. Zack knew he should have been listening to his english teacher, but what good is a smart, attentive twin brother if you can't use them for cheating purposes?

"3, 2, 1..." Zack whispered out loud as the bell rang. He jumped up and ran out the door, rushing to the bus stop. He was free.

_At the Tipton..._

Zack came running into the Tipton hotel, his home, and jumped onto one of the luggage carts, which was headed towards the candy counter.

"Hey Maddie!" Zack exclaimed as the luggage cart pushed past. He jumped off and leaned against the counter, smiling.

"Not now Zack. I just got here 10 minutes ago. At least give me another 10 to get myself together before you ask me out and I turn you down," Maddie said as she finished ringing up a customer.

"How do you know I was going to ask you out?" Zack said, leaning closer.

"Because you do it every day," said a voice from behind. Zack turned around to see Cody.

"You didn't even wait for me," Cody said, annoyed. Zack rolled his eyes.

"Why do I always have to wait for you? You know how to get off a bus," he retorted.

"Boys, it's not even the first day of summer vacation, and you're already fighting?" Maddie asked them. They looked at her innocently and nodded.

"I've got great news for all of you!" someone yelled out. Zack, Cody and Maddie all whipped around to see London galloping towards them.

"Someone's in a good mood," Cody whispered to Zack, as London beamed brightly at the three teenagers in front of her.

"I'm going on vacation to Hawaii!" London said happily, clapping her hands together.

"Yeah, that's just what I've been waiting to hear all day," Maddie scoffed, putting her head in her hands. Zack and Cody looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"But you're all coming with me! We leave tomorrow," London said, throwing her arms out. Maddie, Zack and Cody looked at her with wide eyes and huge smiles.

"Are you serious? This is so awsome!" Zack practically yelled, gaining the attention of Mr. Moseby and Carey, who were having a conversation about that night's performance.

"What's awsome?" Carey asked, walking over with Mr. Moseby and putting her hands on her hips.

"We're going to Hawaii with London!" Cody said, smiling wide. He, Zack, Maddie and London all started talking at once, and Carey waved her hands.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! You're not going anywhere!" she said, folding her arms. Before the twins could protest, London broke in.

"But I already told Daddy you, Maddie, the twins and Moseby would come. It was supposed to be a family vacation, but Daddy had to cancel; so I told him I would take my other family with me," she said, pouting. Carey and Moseby looked at each other with doubtful faces.

London rolled her eyes. "It's free and you get to ride on my private jet," she said, throwing her purse over her arm. Carey didn't hesitate.

"Boys, go pack." Zack and Cody high-fived each other and ran to the elevator while Maddie flipped open her cell phone to call her parents. Moseby's jaw dropped.

"London, I have a hotel to manage. I can't just drop everything and.." he started, but London silenced him.

"Moseby, Daddy already arranged it. Esteban will handle the hotel while you're gone. Besides, you have to come. Daddy says so," she said. Moseby groaned.

_On the 23rd floor..._

Zack and Cody ran into their room and pulled out their suitcases.

"This is going to be awsome," Cody said, opening his dresser drawers and putting his neatly folded clothes into his suitcase. He glanced over and watched as Zack threw his clothes into his own suitcase.

"Yes it will be, little brother. Just think of all the hot babes that are gonna be there!" Zack said, smiling to himself. "This is going to be quite an adventure," he thought.

What he didn't know was just how much of an adventure it _would_ be...

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I hate first chapters..I don't know if I like this one, either. And I was so excited about this story, but I don't know if it's coming out the way I intended it to. I might have to write up new outlines, because I keep changing things.

Let me know what you think. It seriously gets more interesting, I promise. At least, it's more interesting in my head. Lots of action...drama...angst...you know, the usual ;)

ps- I am not responsible for my historical inaccurateness..I make crap up, and I just want to let it be known.


	2. Sitting on the shoreline

My aunt just passed away, unexpectedly. I feel so sick to my stomach. And my internet went out for a few days. And my car is in the shop because it's broken. And I'm trying to write so I can take my mind of things, but it's not working. And who invented the funeral? It's the most horrible thing ever.

Oh, well. Anyway, I kind of see where this fic is going now. I'm working on it. Hope you like chapter 2. I'm really sorry for my lack of enthusiasm.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the characters I make up.

**Chapter 2**

_On the beach..._

Zack was lying on a towel, running his fingers through the sand next to him. The plane ride was, as he had stated to Cody, the coolest plane ride ever. He didn't even care when Cody reminded him that they had never flown before, because access to just about any movie he could think of and what seemed like an unlimited supply of soda made that comment pointless. Not to mention the equally amazing stretch limo ride over to the hotel, which made traveling with London, in Zack's opinion, the only way to go.

_"A Tipton?" Maddie had asked increduously._

_"Duh," was London's fast and simple reply_.

Zack sat up and looked around. He saw Cody walking down the beach with a magnifying glass, peering at various seashells. "Leave it to Cody to figure out some way to educate himself while on vacation," Zack thought. He got up and walked over to his brother.

"Hey Cody, you want to go for a walk? Maybe explore a little?" Zack asked hopefully.

"Maybe later. I just found a starfish! Maybe my next science project could be titled 'Seeing Stars: Life Through the Eyes of a Starfish'. I wonder if they have eyes? And if they do, where are they?" Cody said excitedly, turning to see the disappointment on Zack's face. His smile faded.

"What's wrong, Zack?" he asked, putting his magnifying glass in his pocket.

Zack shrugged. "I just thought we could hang out."

"You know what? I promise that all day tomorrow, we will hang out. Just the two of us," Cody said. Zack smiled.

"OK, but I'm gonna hold you to that," Zack said, walking off and leaving Cody to revel in his discovery.

Truth be told, Zack and Cody haven't been spending as much time together as they used to. Zack played basketball after school, while Cody went to his chess club meetings. Zack liked to play video games, while Cody liked to compete in local science fairs. Zack enjoyed going to the mall with his friends, while Cody enjoyed doing math homework. Zack knew they were two different people with different interests, but he missed hanging out with his only brother.

Zack decided that he would walk around to see what this place had to offer. Maybe he could find something that he and Cody could do tomorrow; something they would both enjoy. He was walking around for a few minutes when he spotted two young Hawaiian natives arguing near a path, which was located in the wood on the edge of the beach.

"I'm telling you, he said there was treasure down there!" one of them said loudly. Zack stopped.

"Treasure?" he thought. He turned to look at the two and crouched down behind a tree to listen.

"Man, that's just a hoax for the tourists," the other native said, but the first one shook his head.

"Dude, Johnny went down that trail. He said it was just like in the stories that his grandpa used to tell him. He said he went down there and came to the boulder that looks like a turtle and he found some jewels buried there. How do you think he got that new car?"

"Whatever. You've completely lost it." The two were still arguing as they walked away towards the beach. Zack watched them go and then turned his head to view the path that they were standing by.

"Jewels, huh?" he said to himself. "I think I know what Cody and I are going to do tomorrow."

_That night, at the hotel..._

Zack and Cody were sitting in their room at the hotel and Zack was doing his best to convince Cody to go treasure hunting with him.

"C'mon, Cody, it'll be fun! Just the two of us, exploring like we used to," Zack was saying earnestly.

"I don't know. Whenever we go exploring, we usually end up in trouble. And I don't want to get in trouble while we're on vacation. And what were you planning on telling mom?" Cody asked. Zack could see he was just fishing for excuses.

"I was gonna tell her that we're going to the shops down the street to hang out. Please? Do it for me?" Zack said, pouting out his lower lip. He knew Cody couldn't resist that one.

Cody sighed. "Fine, we'll go on your little treasure hunt. But then you have to help me find some more starfish."

"Agreed," Zack said joyfully, jumping off Cody's bed and getting into his own. He wanted to be well rested for the day ahead of him.

_The next day..._

Zack saw Cody approaching him and burst into laughter. He had told Cody to meet him in front of the path, but he didn't expect what he saw. There was Cody lugging an oversized backpack, strapped to his shoulders and around his middle, along with a visor on his head and sunblock in his right hand.

"This isn't an overnight retreat," Zack said, still giggling.

"If you keep making fun of me, you're not getting any of the picnic lunch that I packed," Cody said matter-of-factly. Zack stopped laughing. He would never mess up his chances at a good meal, especially one prepared by his brother.

The two turned and stared, facing the woods. Zack was thinking that it looked a little creepy, but he wasn't going to back out now. He turned towards Cody.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Cody replied. The two spit into their hands and shook on it. Then, they started down the path.

Hope you liked it.


	3. We must try to figure it out

Here's chapter 3. Hope you all enjoy it. Sorry, I don't have much to say today, I'm really tired and depressed.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TSL.

**Chapter 3**

"Zack, do you even know where we're going?" Cody whined. Zack knew when his brother was tired; he used a certain voice. And after that question, he knew his brother was definately tired. The boys had been walking for nearly two hours and there was still no sign of a rock shaped like a turtle.

"Yes, I know where we're going. I told you how I heard those guys talking? Well, there's a bookstore in that shopping center down the street from the hotel, so I went in and asked the nerd that works there about the path and the treasure. He said some pirate supposedly buried it a long time ago to hide it from his greedy shipmates, and he gave me the directions," Zack explained, fighting off some branches that were hanging low and sticking onto his shirt.

"Wow, you stepped foot in a bookstore and didn't burst into flames? Maybe there is hope for you, Zack!" Cody taunted.

"Are you mocking me, little brother?" Zack asked, turning around and folding his arms.

"Do you even know what mocking means?"

"Yes I know what it means!"

"Then what does it mean?"

"It doesn't matter what it means!"

"Because you don't know what it means."

"I wouldn't be making fun of me if I were you, visor boy," Zack said, turning back around to escape from Cody's glare. "I think I see an open area up there. We can stop to eat," Zack said, trying to change the subject.

The two walked to the area ahead and Zack watched as Cody unpacked a blanket, sandwiches and bottled water.

"How much food did you pack?" Zack asked, staring at the food stash in Cody's backpack.

"I didn't know how long we would be out here, so I packed enough," Cody replied, taking a bite of his ham and cheese. Zack sat next to his brother and followed suit.

"So, where are these directions that the 'nerd' gave you?" Cody asked, taking a sip from his water bottle.

"All up here," Zack said, pointing to his head. Cody's eyes grew wide.

"You mean you didn't write them down? How are we gonna get back?" he asked, his voice getting higher with every word he said.

"Relax," Zack said, holding his hands up in defense. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something shiny, showing it to Cody.

"Remember that lesson in geography where we learned to use a compass? I actually paid attention to it, because I thought it was cool," Zack said, handing Cody the compass. Cody took it and looked it over.

"Anyway, the bookstore guy said to just stay north until we hit a small pond. From there, we head northwest. It's kind of weird, though, becaues he said it would only take about 30 minutes to get to the pond..." Zack said. He didn't notice the look of suspicion playing on Cody's face.

"What are you doing?" Zack asked as Cody rose from his sitting position and started walking around. He was holding the compass out while walking in different directions.

"Hey, spaz boy? You wanna tell me what's going on?" Zack asked, shrugging his shoulders. "What's so funny?" he asked as Cody stopped and put his head down, laughing slightly to himself.

"Cody! What is it?" Zack yelled.

"This compass is broken," Cody said, pointing to the metal device. He walked over to Zack and held it in front of Zack's face. "See this little bubble? It's supposed to move in the direction we're walking. It's stationary; stuck on north. That means we could have been going east or west or any way this whole time!"

Zack suddenly had a sinking feeling. "So...?" he asked, not looking Cody directly in the eye. He knew what was coming. Cody threw his arms up.

"So, we're lost!"

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Sorry it's a short one. The next one should be longer. Let me know what you think.


	4. Fall around me now

Thanks for reviewing, everyone. I like to know how you all feel, it helps me write faster and, hopefully, better. And thank you to everyone who sent your condolences. I really do appreciate it, and I don't know if I can stress that enough.

And don't you just love finding new music that's completely amazing?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TSL.

**Chapter 4**

"We're lost! What are we gonna do? What if we never get home? I never told mom how much I loved her! I'll never get to go to Harvard.." Cody was pacing back and forth while rambling. Zack started shaking his head.

"Cody," he said quietly. Nothing. "Cody," he said a little louder, but he knew it was no use. Cody was going to ramble until his mouth fell off.

"I knew I should have left a trail of M&M's..or jelly beans..or pennies.." Cody said, still pacing.

"Don't people only do that in movies? I'm sure it doesn't really work," Zack said, folding up the blanket and stuffing it into Cody's backpack.

"Well it would have been more than what you've done! Would it have really been that hard to get a map or something? How are we gonna get back?" Cody yelled frantically.

Zack honestly had no idea, and he knew Cody was right; he shouldn't have rushed into this treasure hunt without thinking about it a little more rationally. But that's what Zack did; he rushed into everything, without thinking. He was so enamored with the idea of becoming rich that he wasn't thinking.

"We'll find our way back," Zack said.

"How? I know I wasn't paying attention to the scenery, so obviously you won't remember which way we came from," Cody said spitefully, grabbing the backpack from Zack and flinging it over his shoulders.

"I remember which way we came.." Zack said in a less than confident tone. Cody looked at him skeptically and Zack sighed. He was getting frustrated.

"Ok, fine, I screwed up! Why do you always have to rub it in my face?" Zack yelled, throwing his hands out to his sides. "You're smarter than me and you could have planned this day better, because you do everything better! That's what you wanted to hear, isn't it?"

Zack stared at the shocked expression on Cody's face. "What, now you have nothing to say?" he asked.

Cody opened his mouth but quickly closed it again. He turned around and sat, leaning up against a rock. He pushed the backpack off to the side and curled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. Zack sighed again and walked over, plopping down next to him. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Cody spoke again.

"I wasn't trying to put you down, Zack. And I didn't know you felt that way about me," he said with a mix of shock and sorrow in his voice.

"I usually don't care if you do better than me in school. I know you're smarter, but sometimes it gets annoying, hearing about how much better you are," Zack said, twisting his lips to the side. Cody shook his head.

"I'm not better than you. I just put so much effort into school because it's all I have. And sometimes I feel like you would rather hang out with your friends than with me," Cody said, turning to look at Zack.

"You know what's funny? I feel the same way about you," Zack said, returning his brother's gaze. They smiled at each other.

"I guess we both got it wrong, huh?" Cody said. Zack laughed.

"I guess. That's why I wanted to come out here in the first place. I thought it would be like the adventures we used to have. And I thought it would be a good chance to hang out and talk. Guess I screwed this one up big time," he said, looking around. All he saw were trees and rocks.

"It's not all your fault. I wasn't much help either," Cody said, also looking around. After another minute Zack stood up.

"Come on, we can't just sit here all day. I mean, how big could these woods really be? We'll find our way out," Zack said, a little more confidently this time. Cody stood up and grabbed his backpack.

"Let's think about this logically. We just have to go back the way we came. We came from that way, didn't we?" he asked, pointing towards a small opening that led back through the woods.

"I thought it was that way," Zack said, pointing to another opening. He turned and looked around, noticing two other openings that held paths, and they all looked the same.

"Well," Cody said, gulping a little, "you were in the lead, so whichever way you think.."

Zack was less than sure, but he didn't want Cody to see the uncertainty on his face, so he turned his head and gazed at the paths. "I remember, it was this one," he said, walking over to the one on their left.

"Ok," Cody said. He hiked his backpack up higher onto his shoulders, and the two set off down the path, hoping it was the right one.

_Two hours later... _

Zack was beginning to wonder if he chose the wrong path. They had been walking for two hours now, and he didn't recognize anything they had passed. But the scariest part was that the day was fading, and so was the sun.

"Zack?" Cody asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Zack answered back.

"Maybe we should stop and rest a little. Those clouds don't look promising," Cody said, pointing to the dark gray clouds that were looming overhead. Zack stopped and looked up.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, scanning the area for any type of shelter. He noticed a rocky ledge off to the right and he and Cody walked over towards it.

"You know," Zack said, staring at the ledge for a few minutes. "This is high enough, and it goes over the trees...I bet I could climb to the top of it and see if I recognize anything or if I can spot the beach."

Cody shifted on his feet uneasily. "It's kinda high, Zack, it doesn't look safe," he said, eyeing the ledge.

"You worry too much," Zack said, beginning his climb. "There's even sort of a path to follow," he added. Cody squinted his face up and let out a breath of frustration.

"Well, I'm coming too," he said, walking after Zack. After a few minutes of steady walking, Zack found that they needed to use their hands for climbing a lot more. "This is more steep than I thought it was," Zack said to himself. They were half way up the ledge as he turned around to make sure Cody was still behind him when he felt it; a wet drop on the tip of his nose. He looked up and felt another; and another. There was a burst of lightning, followed by a boom of thunder, and all of a sudden it was pouring rain.

"Zack!"

Zack turned around to see Cody clinging to the side of the ledge.

"Cody! Are you ok?" Zack yelled, barely hearing his own voice over the rain, which was coming down in sheets now.

"I'm stuck!" Cody yelled back. "My foot is stuck!"

Zack could barely see Cody over the pouring rain as he made his way a few feet back to where Cody was struggling.

"What happened?" Zack bellowed, wiping wet hair from his eyes.

"I slipped when the rain started, and my foot got caught!" Cody answered.

Zack looked down and saw Cody's foot wedged between a crack on the side of the ledge. He grabbed Cody's leg and pulled on it, making Cody cry out in pain.

"Stop!" Cody yelled, holding onto his leg in agony.

"I have to pull it out! There's no other way to get it out of there!" Zack explained. Cody closed his eyes briefly and then nodded, turning his head so he wouldn't have to look. Zack grabbed Cody's leg again and counted.

"1...2...3!" he yelled, pulling as hard as he could and breaking Cody's leg free from the crack. Cody fell back with a yelp.

"You ok?" Zack called, wincing slightly at the pained expression on his twin's face. Cody barely nodded, clutching his bruised foot.

"Can you walk? There's a small area over there that's covered by the rocks!" Zack said, pointing to an area up ahead. "We can wait under there until the rain stops!"

"I think I can," Cody said, standing again.

Zack went next to Cody and put Cody's arm around his shoulder to help him walk. They were slowly making their way across the rocks when Zack heard a cracking noise underneath his feet.

"Cody!" Zack yelled, pushing Cody ahead of him just as the rocks gave way beneath his own feet. Zack went to jump towards the ledge that he pushed his brother onto, but he wasn't fast enough. The rocks went tumbling beneath his feet and he was hanging off the side.

"Zack!" Cody yelled, grabbing onto his brother's shirt and trying to pull him up. Zack struggled with his feet, trying to attach them onto something solid, but there was nothing beneath him.

"Hold on," Cody cried, gripping his hands under Zack's arms and heaving him up. Zack started wriggling his legs around to help give himself some momentum. After struggling for a minute, Zack finally got his leg up onto the ledge and pulled himself up, falling on top of Cody.

"Thanks, bro," he said, breathing heavily.

"No problem," Cody said, patting Zack on the shoulder. Zack stood up, helping Cody to his feet, and the two limped over to the shelter they had spotted. Once under the rock ledge, they both fell onto the floor and backed up against the rock wall.

"What now?" Cody asked, looking at Zack and pushing his own wet hair back.

"We wait," Zack said, watching the steady rain falling. He was beginning to wish he had never overheard those two guys talking.

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And? Hope you enjoyed. It was longer this time. Let me know what you think!


	5. We lost it somehow

So did anyone notice in the new episode at the end, when Arwin is going in and out of the telephone booth, the boys' reflection in the door to the booth? Made me giggle :).

OK, so I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update. Two girls that work with me were fired (and they were both key carriers, so now it's just me) so guess who has had to cover their shifts? Yeah, that would be me.

**In NYC**: I'm so sorry I blew you off the other night. I have been so busy, but I will get back to you on what you wrote, I promise! I have a day off coming up (finally!). I'm not ignoring you, I promise.

Here's chapter 5, for your reading pleasure! I've been writing it on my breaks at work :). And remember, I'm writing this as a sort of bonding experience. I don't know if I mentioned that. Anyway, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TSL.

**Chapter 5**

_In the cave..._

Zack looked over at Cody, who had taken off his shoe and sock. He noticed that Cody's foot was a nasty shade of purple and green, and that it looked painful.

"How bad does it hurt?" Zack asked, leaning closer to Cody's foot to get a better look. Cody shrugged his shoulders.

"It's throbbing, but I'm sure it will be ok...oww!" Cody yelled, grabbing his foot and wincing.

"What is it?" Zack asked worridly. He felt uncomfortable when his brother was in pain and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Sorry, a pain just shot through it. I think there might be something in my backpack to wrap it with," Cody said, digging through one of the pouches in his bag. He pulled out a small ace bandage and began wrapping his foot.

Zack chuckled. "Only you would have an ace bandage in your backpack, Cody," he said.

"Well, I remembered all of the other adventures you dragged me on, so I decided to pack the first aid kit that was in the hotel bathroom. It had one of these, some bandaids, and a few packets of antibiotic ointment," Cody explained.

"Any chance there's a map of the island in there?" Zack asked sarcastically.

"That would be nice, but no," Cody answered.

"I don't think this could get any worse," Zack said dejectedly. He looked outside and watched as the lightning illuminated the night.

"Mom must be going crazy," he thought to himself. He looked over at Cody and knew he was thinking the same thing.

"We'll get back, Cody. And I'll take the blame for everything so you won't get in trouble with mom," he said, placing his hand on Cody's shoulder.

"Nah, it's my fault, too. We'll go down together," Cody said, smiling. Suddenly, he gave a violent shiver.

"It's getting a little chilly out here," Cody said, sniffling.

"Yeah, and these wet clothes aren't helping much," Zack added. He moved closer to Cody to try and keep warm. Cody put his head on Zack's shoulder.

"I'm tired," he whispered, closing his eyes. Zack layed his head against Cody's and said, "Me too." A few minutes later, both fell asleep to the sound of the rain falling gently against the trees.

_The next day..._

Zack slowly opened his eyes as the sun shone into the cave. A little disoriented at first, he rose to a sitting position and took in his surroundings. Suddenly everything from the previous day came rushing back to him. The broken compass, the rocky ledge, the rain, Cody's foot...

Cody!

Zack looked around and noticed that he was alone in the cave.

"Cody?" Zack called, receiving no answer. "Cody?" he called louder, but again there was no answer. Zack began to panic slightly as he rose to his feet and walked cautiously to the edge of the cave. He leaned up, looking over the side of the ledge.

"Oh, God, he fell off," Zack thought out loud, running his hands through his hair.

"Cody!" he yelled frantically. "Cody!"

"What?" came a familiar voice. Zack whipped around and saw his brother walking slowly from around the cave. Relief washed over him.

"I thought you fell off the cliff or something," Zack said breathlessly.

"I was just looking to see if there was a way down from here. And if you look over there," Cody said, pointing down at the trees, "I can see a path. I can't see the beach, but that's the only path I can see from here."

Zack looked at the path and decided it couldn't hurt to try it out. He knew that he didn't have anything better to offer, anyway.

"Do you still have some food in your backpack?" Zack asked, as his stomach growled from hunger.

"Yeah. I guess we need to eat something so we have some energy," Cody said as he and Zack walked back into the cave. They both ate half a sandwich and drank as little water as possible, so they could save the rest for later. When they were finished, they packed up and started down the ledge.

Zack noticed how much easier it was to climb on the rocks when it wasn't raining. Once they both had their feet on the ground, they started towards the path.

"How does your foot feel?" Zack asked a few minutes after they started their walk.

"It's ok. The bandage helps a lot," Cody said, shrugging.

They walked a few more minutes in silence before Cody spoke up again.

"So, what do you do when you go to the mall with your friends?" he asked slowly, keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him.

"Well," Zack started. "We just hang out and talk about girls and basketball really. And Andrew has a thing for a girl who works at Dairy Queen, so we get a lot of ice cream."

Cody smiled. "So, is Andrew your best friend?" he asked.

Zack thought about it. He always told everyone that Cody was his best friend.

"I guess.." he said.

"It's just that you always talk about him at home, so I figured he was your best friend," Cody said hastily.

"What about you? Who's your best friend?" Zack asked, not really caring to hear the answer.

"I guess Matt is. We hang out at lunch and in math class. He's really good at math," Cody answered.

The two walked in silence again. Finally, Zack was the one to speak up.

"So, do you like any girls at school?" he asked.

"Well, I haven't really talked to anyone after Lyndsie," Cody said sadly.

"Lyndsie? Lyndsie who?" Zack asked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Lyndsie Baker. We went out for a month," Cody said incredulously.

"Wow," Zack thought. "I didn't even know my own twin had a girlfriend."

"You really didn't know?" Cody asked, and Zack could detect the hurt in his voice.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Zack said, turning to face Cody. "I guess I was just busy with basketball and stuff.." he added, knowing it was a lame excuse. Cody twisted his head to the side and gave a lopsided smile.

"It's ok, I understand," he said, but Zack knew he was upset with him. He was about to try and defend himself some more when Cody pointed to something.

"What's that?" he asked. Zack looked up ahead and saw something looming in the shadows of the trees.

"It looks like a shack or something," he said, squinting.

"Maybe there's someone there that can help us!" Cody said excitedly, picking up his pace. Zack had to run to keep up with him. When they reached the old house, they knocked on the door.

"Hey, is anybody in there?" Zack called, trying to peek through the windows. All he saw was an old couch in an otherwise empty room.

Cody knocked on the door again and turned the knob. The door cracked open and he and Zack slowly pushed it.

"Hello?" Zack called, but there was no answer.

"I guess it's been abandoned for a while," Cody said, walking over to the couch.

"How do you guess that?" Zack asked. He watched as Cody hit one of the couch cusions and a huge cloud of dust burst through the air. He wrinkled his forehead.

"I guess we could rest a little while in here," Zack said, looking at an old, broken clock that hung on the wall next to the door. He fiddled with the hands for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his brother, who was taking out the picnic blanket in his backpack and laying it on the floor. Zack walked over and the two boys layed on it side by side.

"What do you think mom is doing right now?" Cody asked, turning towards Zack.

"Honestly? Totally freaking out, if she hasn't already had a heart attack," Zack answered.

"I hope she stays calm," Cody said quietly. Zack hoped so, too.

But their mother was frantic, and he knew it.

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OK, more excitement soon to come, hopefully. Next chapter will be from Carey's point of view.

Let me know what you think :)


	6. The rain it falls harder now, all around

**Question for you all**: would you like to see a sequel to "Say What You Mean" or should I just let it be? Let me know, it's up to you guys. I'm gonna take a vote..either leave the answer in your review, or PM me/email me.

Here's chapter 6. Carey's point of view.

ps-Holy goodness, Mae is going on tour and they're coming to my town! I've been smiling about it all week!

**Disclaimer:** All I own is Detective Mason, an iPod and a car. Not TSL or anything else.

**Chapter 6**

_On the beach..._

Carey was lying on her towel, soaking in the sun, when Maddie walked over and sat down next to her.

"Where are the boys?" she asked. Carey lowered her sunglasses and looked at Maddie.

"They're bonding," she said smiling. Maddie laughed.

"Where did they go?" she asked, digging up some sand with her foot and watching the clams scurry around, quickly digging holes to hide in.

"They went down to the shopping center," Carey said, putting on some more sun tan lotion.

"London said she saw Cody wearing a backpack," Maddie said, a little confused.

Carey frowned. "I guess Cody packed lunch. They used to go on picnics when they were little. Cody always loved to cook," she said.

"That makes sense, then," a convinced Maddie said, still watching the clams dig.

"I'm glad they're spending time together. They've been hanging out in different crowds lately and bickering a lot with each other," Carey said. She hated to admit that her boys seemed to be growing apart because they've always done everything together. She knew it was healthy for them to do different things, but lately it seemed like they didn't even talk to each other anymore. Content that her boys were finally getting along, Carey went back to relaxing in the sun.

_Hours later..._

Carey was pacing the hotel room, wringing her hands. It was 9:52 p.m., rain was pouring down outside, and her boys were still not back. "This isn't like them," she thought, feeling uneasy. Her boys knew better, and if they were stuck somewhere, they always called.

"Maybe they're at the movies," Maddie suggested, trying to sound cheery. Carey looked helplessly at the clock again, shaking her head.

"They would have called me, they know it's late," she said, as her stomach did flips. She was going over all the horrible things that could have happened to her boys in her mind when suddenly the phone rang. Carey lunged for it.

"Cody, Zack?" she asked breathlessly.

"Sorry, Carey, it's just me," Moseby said from the other line. Carey closed her eyes and sighed.

"I called down to the front desk, and they say they haven't received any messages from the boys. But one of the hotel staff remember seeing blonde twins walking in the opposite direction of the shoppes down the road. He said they went off towards the woods," Moseby said, sounding a little confused.

"Why would they be walking towards the woods?" Carey asked, holding her hand out, then wrapping her arm around her waist.

"Carey, I honestly don't know," Moseby said, sounding defeated. Carey looked at the clock again. 10:13 p.m.

"I'm calling the police, Mr. Moseby," she said, clicking the off button on the phone, only to turn it on again, dialing 911.

_"Please state your emergency," _came a female voice from the other line.

"Hi, My name is Carey Martin, and I'm on vacation from Boston...and my boys are missing...my sons...they went shopping earlier today...or they said they were going shopping, but they might have gone into the woods...and they haven't called or come back to the hotel," Carey explained, pausing every few seconds to try and get her story straight.

_"M'am, you do know you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."_

"I don't care how long you say I have to wait! My boys haven't come home! They could be anywhere, and you're going to tell me to wait 24 hours? I'm not waiting 24 hours! I want them back now!" Carey screamed into the phone.

_"Calm down, m'am, I'll alert the authorities in the area."_

After a few more minutes on the phone with the operator, Carey hung up and jumped as an enormous bolt of lightning illuminated her dimly lit suite. Maddie walked over and hugged her.

"I know they'll be ok, Carey. I just know," Maddie said, breaking the embrace to look Carey in the eye. Carey wanted to believe her; she looked so hopeful.

"Get some sleep, Maddie. I'll call if I hear anything," Carey said, sniffling.

"Promise?" Maddie asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Promise," Carey answered. She watched Maddie leave and sat down on the edge of her bed. Placing her hands on her forehead, she looked over at the door and prayed that her boys would come running in with a darn good excuse for staying out so late.

She waited in vain.

_The next afternoon..._

Carey stood in the police station, pacing back and forth while pulling on her hair. Moseby, Maddie and London were down at the shopping center with pictures of the twins, handing them out to every shop owner, and anyone on the street willing to listen to them.

"Miss Martin?" asked a slightly raspy voice from behind Carey. She turned around, standing face to face with the detective working on her boys' case. He was her height, with bright green eyes and a long, sharp nose. His messy brown hair fell down past his ears, and, if Carey wasn't so upset, she would have seen how handsome he was.

"It's Carey, and are you going to find my sons?" Carey said shakily, clasping her hands together as if she were praying.

"I'm Detective John Mason, and I'm going to do my very best," he said, smiling sincerely at her. Carey let a tear fall and shook her head.

"No, you're not going to try your best. You're going to find them," Carey said in a harsh whisper. She looked into the Detective's eyes, practically begging.

"I will find them, Carey. I promise," John said. "I just need you to answer a few questions for me," he added.

Carey nodded, just as her cell phone rang. Recognizing Moseby's number, she answered her phone, holding a finger up to John.

"Mr. Moseby?...uh-huh...what?...treasure map?...oh, Zack...," Carey groaned. She clapped her phone shut and hung her head, rubbing her eyes.

"Carey?" John asked, furrowing his brow.

Carey looked up at the Detective and sighed. "That was Mr. Moseby. He was handing out pictures of my boys to the workers in the shopping center. He went into the bookstore down there and the man working recognized them. He said one of them came into the store asking about a buried treasure. I'm sure it was Zack," Carey explained.

John turned his head slightly, squinting his eyes in thought. "You said one of the hotel staff saw your boys walking into the wooded area behind the hotel?" he asked.

"That's what the front desk clerk said. Why?" Carey asked, getting a bad feeling.

"Well, there's an old legend about a pirate who buried treasure out in those woods," John told her.

"If there's treasure involved, Zack will have known about it. They must have gone to look for it," Carey said, trying to convince herself. She watched as John picked up his radio and started calling in a search. When he was finished, he looked at Carey.

"I want to warn you that those woods are extremely thick and vast. I've called in some help to search. I'm going out there myself, but I want you to stay in your hotel room. I'll call you once I know something," John said, grabbing his wallet and badge off his desk and walking swiftly towards the door.

Carey stood still for a moment, trying to take everything in. Then she grabbed her purse and left the station, with no intention of going back to her hotel room. If her boys were lost, she was going to help find them.

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I know it's not really that long, but I'm suffering from a little something called writer's block. I have to get back into the groove, but I've been working so much, it makes me too tired to think.

I hope you liked the chapter anyway, and let me know about that sequel. xoxo


	7. What I feel and what I'm told

Hi everyone, hope all is well. I don't have much to talk about right now, so I'll just get on with getting you the next chapter. So here it is, for your reading pleasure, chapter 7.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TSL or anything besides the characters I make up.

**Chapter 7**

"How bad?" Cody asked his brother. They were lying on the blanket with their heads together.

"Really bad," Zack said, unraveling the hem in his sleeve.

"Total freak mode?" Cody asked quietly.

"Worse," Zack responded, finally ripping off the string that had been plaguing his sleeve. "Lets think of it this way; we've been gone for more than 24 hours. If she hasn't hyperventilated, gone into shock, or died from a heart attack, she's called the police," Zack added, sitting up to stare at his worried brother's face. He knew Cody was very upset about what their mother must be feeling at the moment. Zack was too, of course, but ever since their parents divorced, Cody felt as though it was his responsibility to make sure their mother was happy. He always remembered the birthday cards, valentines cards, Christmas cards, mothers days cards; and he always signed Zack's name in them. _Love Cody and Zack_. He, Zack, never remembered that stuff.

Zack continued staring at his brother's face. A face that was full of compassion and concern for the ones he loved. Cody always thought of him, no matter what. Zack admired him, though he would never admit it to Cody. He loved how Cody was so kind, caring, selfless...

"What?" Cody asked loudly, snapping Zack back to reality.

"What?" Zack asked back, looking around uneasily. He thought _"Crap, I need to stop doing that."_

"You were off in la-la land, staring at me all weird," Cody said, scrunching up his nose.

"No I wasn't," Zack said defensively. Cody gave him an "umm, yeah, you were" look and Zack sighed.

"I'm just trying to figure a way out of this whole mess," Zack said, trying to sound convincing. Apparently, it worked.

"So, did you figure anything out, genius?" Cody asked, smirking.

"Well, no...but just give me time, I can come up with something," Zack said, rising from the floor. He started pacing.

"We don't really have time, Zack. There's barely any food or water left, my foot is swollen, and it looks like it's going to rain again. Plus, I think there are fleas in this house, because I have little itchy bites all over my legs," Cody said, scratching furiously at his bare ankles.

Zack, who had also been absentmindedly scratching at his own legs, looked down to see little red bumps forming. "Well, lets get out of here, then, and keep on walking. There has to be a road or something around here that we can follow back to civilization," he said, wrapping up the blanket and stuffing it in Cody's backpack.

Cody reluctantly picked up the bag and looked at Zack.

"What if there isn't, Zack? What if we can't find our way back? What if..." Cody cut off the last part of his sentence and stared down at his feet, but Zack knew what he was thinking.

"We're not gonna die out here, Cody. I promise, I won't let it happen. We'll make it back to mom," Zack said, patting his brother on the shoulder. Cody looked up and smiled.

"I know you'll always be there for me," Cody said, almost in a whisper. Zack returned the smile.

"C'mon, lets get moving," he said, opening the door and ushering Cody out of the shack. In the back of his mind, Zack wondered if he made a promise he might not be able to keep.

Once outside, Cody stared at the sky, which was scattered with dark clouds.

"I hope it doesn't rain again..that would really suck," he mumbled, kicking a rock on the ground in front of him. Zack looked up at the sky and thought the same thing.

After walking in silence (which was starting to become a trend), Zack tried to make some small talk.

"So...what's your favorite subject in school?" he asked casually, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer was science.

"Science," Cody said, almost on cue. He was wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his arm while Zack smiled and nodded. "What about you?" Cody added.

"Gym. And lunch," Zack said, hearing Cody laugh from behind him.

"Lunch isn't a subject, Zack," Cody said with a smile on his face.

"Well, if they graded it, I'd get an A," Zack mused, catching a glimpse of his giggling brother. He thought about how nice it was to hear Cody's laugh.

"So, you and Lyndsie Baker, huh?" Zack asked, seeing the smile fade from Cody's face.

"Yeah," Cody said sadly.

"What happened between you two?" Zack asked slowly, watching as Cody became increasingly interested in a scratch on his right hand.

"She said I was too nice. She's interested in more 'dangerous' guys. The ones who live in the moment," Cody said, using his fingers to quote "dangerous". Zack huffed.

"Well, she doesn't know what she's missing," he said angerly. He saw Cody smile sadly at him. "Look, buddy, I'm really sorry I didn't pay more attention to what's going on in your life," he said, pushing a tree branch out of his way.

"I understand. It was going on during basketball tryouts, and I know you were really wrapped up in making the team," Cody said, crossing his arms.

"That's no excuse, Cody! You're my brother," Zack cried, walking faster and getting a little ahead of Cody. "I should have taken more time out of my own life to be more involved in yours. I didn't even realize, and..."

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Zack whipped around just in time to see his brother fall through a hole in the ground.

"CODY!" Zack screamed, rushing over and throwing himself to the ground to look into the hole. It was dark and, with no light from the sun since the dark gray clouds were covering it, Zack couldn't see a thing.

"Cody!" he yelled into the hole, only to be met by silence.

"Oh, God," Zack said frantically. "This is not good!"

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Please review, and I hope you enjoy. I'll let you all know about a plotline I have in mind for a "Say What You Mean" sequel, and then you can let me know if you want it or not.

Cheers!


	8. Your voice in the dark

Saw an awsome concert the other night. Quietdrive. They have a lot of energy and put on an awsome show. You should check them out on myspace.

Here's chapter 8. And if I don't post another chapter before the 22nd, I just want you all to know that I'm going to the beach with my family for the week of the 23rd, which means no internet. I'll try to get another chapter up before that, but we'll see how busy it gets around here.

Enjoy chapter 8!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own TSL or anything associated with TSL or Disney channel. And I know Hawaii doesn't really have snakes (like they say on the websites I've visited for historical information) but for the purposes of this adventure and of my imagination, we're going to disregard that fact and pretend that Hawaii does, indeed, have snakes.

**Chapter 8**

Zack was lying on his stomach, peering into the hole that his brother had just fallen into. How had they both not seen it?

"Lousy time for the sun not to be shining!" Zack yelled loudly, looking up at the sky as if his voice could move the clouds from blocking the sunlight.

He looked back into the hole, squinting his eyes. "Cody! Buddy! Talk to me!" Zack yelled, lowering his head into the hole in hopes of hearing something. "Please!" he added, the "please" sounding more like a strangled moan. Suddenly, he heard movement from below.

"Cody? Can you hear me? Can you move? Anything?" Zack asked loudly, slightly making out his brother's outline on the floor of the hole.

"Zack..." Came a harsh whisper. Zack's heart skipped.

"I'm right here, buddy! Right here," Zack said, waving his arm around, hoping Cody could see him. "Are you hurt?"

"I don't...I don't think so," came a muffled voice. "Ugh.." Zack, finally making out Cody's figure, saw him sit up.

"I'm gonna find a way to get you out of there, ok?" Zack said, his voice a little high pitched as a wave of panic began to settle in his body. How the heck was he gonna get Cody out of there?

Zack stood up and ran his hands through his hair, looking around. There had to be something around here that he could use to get Cody out of that hole. He turned around and saw a long, thick tree branch that had snapped off of the tree next to it. He ran over and grabbed the branch, then he quickly rushed back to the hole.

"Cody! Do you think you would be able to climb?" Zack called to his brother.

He saw Cody look up and squint his eyes. "I think so," he said, getting to his feet and brushing the dirt off his back. Zack lowered the branch into the hole and Cody grabbed onto it. He began pulling himself up the branch, bracing his feet on the dirt wall, while Zack also held tightly onto the branch. After a minute of struggling, Cody fell back down.

"Zack, I can't climb up with this backpack on, it's too heavy! Let me put it on the log and you pull it up first!" Cody called up to Zack.

"Ok!" Zack said, pulling up the branch with the backpack. He threw bag behind him and, once again, lowered the branch down into the hole.

"I've got you, Cody, just keep climbing!" Zack called, feeling his feet slip a little. He braced his foot against a small boulder and held onto the branch as tight as he could. A few minutes later, Cody had pulled his arms up over the opening, causing Zack to drop the branch and grab onto his brother's hands, pulling him up and out. Once out of the hole, Cody dropped to the floor, panting. Zack threw his arms around Cody and said, "You scared the crap out of me when you screamed like that." Cody huffed.

"I got the crap scared out of me when I fell," he said, hugging Zack tightly. Zack broke away and looked at the hole.

"So why didn't we see that there?" he asked, twisting his lips in confusion.

"It was probably an abandoned bear trap. Or at least, a trap for a large animal. It was probably covered in leaves and branches to make it look like the ground," Cody said, wiping the sweaty hair out of his face.

Zack turned to Cody and said, "I thought people only did that on TV?"

"Actually, it was a pretty common practice, back in the day..." Cody trailed off and Zack noticed his eyes get wide.

"What? What's wrong?" Zack asked, looking his brother over, thinking Cody was hurt.

"Sn...sna...sss..." Cody stuttered, beginning to shake slightly, pointing behind Zack. Zack shook his head, furrowing his brow, and turned around. Suddenly, his eyes grew as wide as Cody's, watching a very large snake slither on top of Cody's backpack, while staring menacingly at them.

"Cody," Zack said, placing his hand on Cody's chest and pushing him slowly backwards. "I think we need to go."

"What about the backpack?" Cody whispered, never taking his eyes off the snake, which was sticking it's tongue out at them.

"Forget the backpack, Cody, it's not worth it. I don't know what kind of snake that is, but it's big, fat, and nasty looking, and I'm not taking any chances," Zack said, turning towards Cody. "And I'm not letting you, either," he added, noticing the daring look in Cody's eyes. Cody looked at Zack and sighed.

They started backing away slowly, again, when Zack's foot slipped on a damp patch of grass, sending him flying to the ground. Letting out a yelp, he grabbed onto Cody, and the two went tumbling down a hill.

"Ouch," Zack said when they landed at the bottom. He sat up and looked at his bleeding arm.

"Thanks for grabbing me, Zack," Cody said sarcastically, also sitting up and rubbing his arms.

"Sorry," Zack said sheepishly. He looked at his brother, who was brusied and bleeding, and felt even worse.

"I didn't mean to..." he said, but stopped mid sentence after noticing a small stream trickling past his feet.

"Didn't mean to what?" Cody asked, wiping his dirty hands on his equally dirty shirt.

"Cody, there's some water here..a stream of water. Look, it's flowing that way," Zack said, pointing to his left.

Cody knelt down and looked at the water.

"Maybe we're getting closer to the beach," Zack said, silencing himself when Cody put a finger in the air. Zack saw the look of concentration on his face.

"What is it?" he asked, looking around to try and figure out what Cody was listening so intently to.

"I think I hear rushing water," Cody said, his face lighting up. Zack stood still and listened hard. Then he noticed the sound of water, as well, and he turned to Cody. The two looked at each other for a second, then took off running toward the sound.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's not my favorite, and definately not the best, but it works. The next chapter is going to focus on Carey and Detective Mason, again, on their search.

Let me know what you think!


	9. I need you here tonight

Alright, I'm doing good, getting another chapter up before I head to the beach! This is a Carey chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Chapter 9**

Carey walked to the wooded area behind the hotel and saw a rather large group of people standing around Detective John Mason. Among them were a reporter with her cameraman, from the local news station. Carey guessed that this was the search party that the detective was talking about.

"Now, you all have a picture of Zack and Cody. We're looking for anything that might lead us to them; an article of clothing, broken branches, anything," Detective Mason was saying, as he turned his head slightly, spotting Carey. He stopped talking for a moment, a bit surprised to see her, but soon continued. The news reporter, a tall, dark haired woman with equally dark eyes that were rooted very far back in her head, noticed this and turned around, also spotting Carey. How the reporter knew who she was, Carey would never know.

"Miss Martin!" the reporter exclaimed, rushing over to Carey and startling her. John shot his head in Carey's direction with wide eyes. He excused himself from the crowd to go and aide her.

"Miss Martin, how are you dealing with this terrible tragedy?" The reporter asked, shoving her mic in Carey's face.

"Oh, uh...well..." Carey stammered.

"Could they have possibly run away? Were there any problems at home?" the reporter said, a little too cold for Carey's taste. Carey's forehead creased in anger as she opened her mouth to give the reporter a piece of her mind. But before she could speak, John took over.

"Miss Martin is a loving mother who wishes for the safe return of her sons," John said, shooting the reporter a nasty glare. He turned his attention back towards the crowd of people and addressed them once again.

"I want to thank you all for volunteering to help in the search. Good luck, and remember to contact myself, or someone from the department, whose numbers are located on the back of the twins' picture," he said. Then he turned back to the reporter and said, "Rebecca, don't you have something more constructive to do than to patronize a worried mother?"

Rebecca crossed her arms and smacked her tongue against her very straight, very white teeth. "I'm just trying to get people the news, John," she said with a dirty smile on her face, brushing a speck of dirt off her white blouse.

"Why don't you find someone else to sink your fangs into, then?" John said, steering Carey away from the now angry reporter and her overweight cameraman.

"Sorry about her, Carey, she's ruthless," John said, guiding Carey towards his squad car. "That's why I told you to stay at the hotel," he added, throwing a folder into his car, shutting and locking the door. He turned to Carey and folded his arms.

"Would you want to just sit around and do nothing if your sons were missing, Mr. Mason?" Carey asked sternly, her voice cracking slightly.

John's face fell a little and he shook his head. He seemed to be thinking of something and sighed. "Please, call me John, Carey," he said in his low, raspy voice.

"Fine, John. What do we do first?" Carey asked, noticing that most of the crowd had dispersed into the woods.

"Well, we look. Just stick with me," John said, gesturing Carey into the woods.

_An hour later..._

"They did what?" John said, tyring to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, they dressed up like girls to win money in a beauty pageant," Carey said, laughing. John joined in.

"They sound like great kids, Carey," John said with a smile. Carey looked at him, full of fear again.

"I need them back in my arms, John. I need them," she said, her arms wrapping around her body.

"I made a promise to you, and I _will_ keep it. We'll find them," John said with a note of wild determination in his voice.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes, collecting their thoughts.

"Thank you..for everything. For all you're doing," Carey said quietly.

"I would want the same dedication if it were my family," John said, his face showing a hint of sadness that Carey noticed.

"Your wife must be proud of everything you do," Carey said, watching John as he checked to see if his cell phone had any messages.

"Huh?" John asked, somewhat confused. Carey nodded toward the ring on his hand, and he looked at it sadly.

"No, I'm not married. We divorced a few years ago," he said, twisting the ring around his finger.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed..." Carey said sheepishly.

"Oh, it's ok. I know I should take it off..." John said, more to himself than to Carey. Carey noticed his green eyes were full of grief.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, tipping her head slightly. John shook his head vigorously.

"We're not here to talk about my mistakes, Carey. Let's focus on getting you your boys back, ok?" he said, a slight edge in his voice. Carey took the hint.

"Ok," she said in a low whisper.

John, feeling bad about snapping, was about to apologize when his phone rang. "Hello?" he said, listening intently. "We'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up his cell, and looked at Carey.

"What? Did someone find them?" Carey asked, her heart leaping into her throat.

"They found a bloody sock, Carey. It says 'Cody' on the inside," John said slowly. Carey swooned.

"Carey!" John cried, reaching out to steady her. Carey put her hand on her forehead and let out a hollow laugh.

"Cody writes his name inside his socks so they don't get confused with Zack's," she said, beginning to cry. John wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her to a boulder, so she could sit.

"A bloody sock doesn't mean they're not still alive. It just means Cody might have scraped his foot on something. It might have slowed them down, making it easier to track them," John said, trying to comfort her. Carey sat for a moment, then nodded, wiping her tears.

"Ok, ok.." she said, nodding a little more.

"Let's go see what else they found, ok?" John said, helping Carey up, still supporting the grieving woman.

Ten minutes later, Carey and John were at the rocky ledge that Cody and Zack had slept on the night before.

"There's a little cave opening a bit further up. We found the sock, along with a bandage wrapper, and some bread crust," one of the officers explained.

"Thanks, George," John said, looking at the sock, which was in a plastic bag, lying on a rock.

"They must have stayed there during the storm," Carey guessed. She knew her boys were smart enough to find shelter in dangerous weather. She was secretly proud of them.

"The rain would have washed away any footprints from yesterday..." John said, looking around. He spotted the path that Cody and Zack had taken, just hours earlier, and saw some footprints. "But not their footprints from today!" he exclaimed, grabbing one of the officers next to him.

"What does the map say this path leads to?" he asked the officer.

The officer took out his map and started pointing to something on it.

"There's Rick's property up there, where his old cabin is? And if they followed the path, they would eventually hit the river," the officer explained.

"Great. Tell everyone to keep this way, and don't step directly on the path. I want to preserve the footprints so we can follow them," John said, looking up at the sky. "Before those clouds get to them first," he added to himself. He went back to Carey and the two started quickly down the path.

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I hope you liked the chapter! I did :D

And what the heck is John so upset about? I'll tell you sometime soon!

Cheers!


	10. The stars that fall around me now

Thank you all for waiting paitently for chapter 10. I was going to have it up last saturday, right before I went on vacation, but I got knocked out by this wicked stomach virus last friday that I couldn't even move. But I wrote a lot on my vacation, so I'll get it all typed up as quickly as I can. I know you're all anxious to know what's going on with John.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TSL.

**Chapter 10**

Zack and Cody had been walking alongside the river for over an hour, and the scenery hadn't changed at all.

"If we follow the flow of the river, we're going to hit the beach. We have to, because the river has to end up there," Cody had deduced. But there was still no sign of civilization as the two boys walked and talked.

"How many girlfriends have you had this year?" Cody asked Zack, plucking petals off a flower that he had in his hand.

Zack strained his face in thought. "How many girls have I liked? Plenty. How many girlfriends? Just one, really. Maggie," Zack said with a nod. "But we broke up a few weeks before school let out."

"Oh, I thought you...well, nothing," Cody said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

Zack eyed Cody with suspicion. "What? You thought I what?"

"Nothing. It's just that you sort of have a bit of a reputation."

"What kind of reputation?"

"Just forget I said anything."

Zack walked silently next to his brother for a few moments, trying to understand what Cody had just said. He didn't know he had a reputation, and he didn't know how he had earned one. It was starting to bug him.

"Really, what kind of reputation are we talking here? Please?" he begged, looking at Cody with puppy dog eyes. He knew that neither brother could resist the puppy dog eyes, and sure enough, Cody gave in.

"Well, you've got sort of a playboy reputation at school," Cody said, watching the ground as he walked.

"How!" Zack yelled, outraged. Now he was mad.

"Drew was talking one day, saying that you made out with Laney, Steph, Shawna, and Felicia all in the same month. He said you told him you did," Cody said sheepishly.

"Drew? He was mad because Maggie liked me better than him! That rotten jerk," Zack said as a flash of anger washed over his face. He started walking faster, causing Cody to run to keep up with him.

"I didn't know, Zack, I'm sorry!" Cody said earnestly.

"When was he saying this?" Zack said, violently pushing branches out of his way.

"A few weeks ago, after Gym class, in the locker room," Cody said, slightly out of breath.

"I can't believe he would spread that around. That's why all those girls were giving me dirty looks and calling me a liar...and Maggie! She got all weird, and we broke up!" Zack complained. "That's real low, even for Drew. And saying it all right in front of my own brother! Wait.." Zack stopped and turned to Cody, who averted his eyes back to the ground. Zack's blood began to boil. "Why didn't you stick up for me?"

Cody was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, nervously. "I was going to," he started. "But Drew didn't even know I was there. Those guys never notice me, anyway," Cody said sadly, swallowing hard. Zack felt a little sick to his stomach when he saw his brother's pained expression, and lost the anger he was harboring for him just a moment before.

"I've always noticed you, Cody. I know I did a bad job showing it sometimes, but I do notice you," Zack said with a sigh.

"I know, it's just that...like, with you...if you...ugh!" Cody said as Zack watched him twisting the side of his shirt around his thumb. He knew Cody always did that when he was frustrated.

"I what? You can tell me," Zack said, trying to sound encouraging.

"If Drew were spreading rumors about me, you would have stood up for me," Cody said, curling up his lip. Zack looked off to the side. He knew his brother was right.

"I just stood there, listening to him lie about you. I didn't defend you...I even thought it might be true," Cody said, avoiding Zack's eyes. Zack was a little stunned. He would have jumped in and started a fight with Drew if he heard him spreading rumors about Cody. But Zack knew Cody was different. He was more reserved; he thought before he acted. Zack was more spur of the moment. Though it still hurt him to hear that Cody believed what Drew said about him.

"It's really ok, Cody," Zack said, hiding the hurt in his voice.

"No, it's not ok. You've been apologizing to me for the past two days, saying you haven't been making enough of an effort to be a part of my life..But did I really make any effort to be a part of _yours_? This is my fault just as much as it is yours, and I'm gonna make it up to you," Cody said sincerely.

Zack stood still, taking in every word Cody was saying. Suddenly, he wasn't disappointed anymore. Hearing those words come from Cody's mouth meant more to him than just about anything at that moment.

"You know what, bro? Zack said, wrapping his arm around Cody's shoulder as the two started to walk along the river again. "No more apologizing. We were stupid, but it's in the past," he said, smiling at Cody. Cody nodded his head.

"Besides, we can beat the crap out of Drew when we get home," Zack added, causing his brother to snort.

They walked for a minute before Cody spoke up. "Do you think we'll get back?" he asked fearfully.

"I promised you, didn't I?" Zack said, looking up at the sky, which was growing darker by the minute.

"Zack?" Cody asked, wiping his nose on the end of his sleeve. He was sniffling and sounded like he was getting a cold, which made Zack worry a little. "I think we need to stop and find a place to stay for the night," he added, sounding defeated.

As much as he hated to admit it, Zack knew Cody was right. He agreed, and the two found a fallen tree, close to the river, which acted as a nice shelter for them to sleep under. As they lay down, Zack realized the clouds that looked so threatening earlier had passed, leaving a night sky which was full of bright, blazing white stars.

"Things are gonna be different when we get back, I promise," Cody said, nodding his head and sniffling.

Zack smiled; he liked the sound of that. "I promise too, buddy," he said, as the two drifted off to sleep under the stars.

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A little Zack and Cody for you all. Next chapter is more John and Carey. I'll type it up as soon as I can. Expect it later tonight or early tomorrow.

Cheers!


	11. Never a night where I can sleep

How awsome is it that I'm updating twice in a 24 hour period? I'm spoiling you all :)

Just so you all know, there will be 2 more chapters after this one. Then it's off to outline the sequel to "Say What You Mean", entitled "Destination: Beautiful" (after a Mae song lyric, of course!) Yup, I'm definitely going to write it.

Ok, off to type while listening to The Academy Is...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TSL. I do wish, however, that I owned William Beckett, the lead singer of The Academy Is...

**Chapter 11**

John and Carey were following the path with the boys' footprints for about an hour before noticing the shack up ahead. This caused John to stop.

"Why are we stopping?" Carey asked, turning to John when she noticed he had stopped walking.

John just stared at the shack absentmindedly, off in his own little world.

"John? Hello?" Carey said, waving her hand in front of his face. Suddenly he snapped back to reality, shaking his head.

"Oh..sorry," he said, taking one last look at the house and turning back to the ground. "Look here," he said, pointing to the footprints in the dirt path. Carey walked over, careful not to upset the prints, still worried about John.

"They started running here," he pointed out, walking swiftly. Carey, along with George, the other officer, walked in sync with him. He led them up to the door of the shack. "They probably beat on the door to see if anyone was inside. Oh, no one has lived here for years..." John said, noticing Carey reaching for the door handle. She looked at him.

"Ok, now what? she asked impatiently. She didn't want to wait around while her boys could be struggling for their lives.

"They went this way," John said, pointing towards another path that attached onto the one that ran to the front of the house. There were a few more footprints.

"So?" Carey asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. John, not paying attention, walked over to George.

"Tell everyone to start heading southeast, towards the river. They're not dumb kids, and once they find the river, I'm sure they'll follow it," he said, as Carey was listening intently to his every word.

"Is it a good thing that they're by the river, John?" Carey asked cautiously.

"The river eventually hits the ocean. If they stay with it, and follow it downstream, they'll hit it, too. It's a big river that winds around the woods, though, so it might take them a while. But from how you described your boys, I'm sure they'll have the sense to stay near the water..I just hope they don't stay too close..." John said, whispering the last sentence and staring into space again.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Carey asked, feeling worried. John seemed to be acting erratic to her.

John shot his head up again. "No, I'm fine. Let's keep walking," he said absently, his mind obviously elsewhere.

"Awww, crap," John said suddenly. Carey didn't need him to explain what he was upset about, however. She saw it, too. The path, though still slightly visible, turned into mostly sticks and grass, so the footprints were no longer an aide. She wore a pained expression on her face, which John noticed.

"It's ok, Carey. We're gonna head down to the river, anyway, which, I'm sure that's where they are," he said confidently. Carey closed her eyes and nodded, though she still felt sick. She looked around at all the people who were out there, trying to find her boys, and prayed.

_An hour later..._

They had been walking for a while before George, who was behind them, shouted, "Ay, John! What's that up there?" Carey craned her neck above John's head and saw something lying on the ground up ahead. A wave of nausea flowed through her body as she took off towards the object.

"Wait, Carey!" John yelled, running after her.

Carey knelt down and picked up what was lying on the ground. Her heart skipped. John ran up to her and looked at what she was holding. "It's Cody's backpack," Carey choked, hugging it tightly to her chest.

"Carey, this doesn't mean..." John started, but Carey cut him off, on the verge of hysterics.

"He would never leave it sitting here! Something happened! What if something happened?" she cried, never letting go of the backpack. One of the volunteers came over and wrapped her arms around Carey.

"Come here, sweetie. Let's calm down for a moment," the lady said, guiding Carey to a rock.

John and George scanned the area for a few minutes before John stumbled upon the animal trap that Cody had fallen into.

"I think one of the boys may have fallen into the trap. See that branch?" he said, pointing out the branch that Zack had used to pull Cody out of the hole with. "They might have been too hurt to carry the backpack and left it here," John said quietly. He didn't know that Carey was listening to his conversation. She swooned where she was sitting.

"We're going to have to stop for the night, George, it's getting too late. It won't be safe out here after dark," John added, trying to keep his voice low. However, it wasn't low enough, because Carey stormed over to where he was standing and started freaking out.

"We're not stopping! You just said they might be hurt, and you want to stop? My boys are still out there, and I'm not leaving until I find them!" she yelled, dropping the backpack to the ground and clenching her fists.

John, realizing Carey had overheard what he was said, tried to calm her down by explaining himself. "Carey, it's getting dark and the search won't be as effective..." he began.

"NO! We can't stop now!" she said, shaking her head violently.

"We have to stop for the night, Carey! It's too dangerous out here!" John said, raising his voice a little. Carey began to throw a fit.

"I need to find my sons!" Carey bawled.

"I know what it's like to feel helpless, but staying out here in the dark isn't going to help that. We need to come back early with fresh eyes," John explained loudly, causing people to stare at the arguing adults.

"You _don't_ know what it's like! You have no idea what it's like to lose your child!" Carey said angerly, her eyes closed tightly.

"You don't know me, Carey! You have no idea what I've lost! I know better than anyone out here what it's like to lose someone!" John roared, his raspy voice shaking with anger. Carey stood in front of him, shocked as the hot tears fell down her wet face. She watched John run his fingers through his long, dark hair, and then walk briskly past everyone into the cover of some trees. She turned her head to George and shook her head absently.

George walked over to Carey and leaned close to her. "John lost his son a few years back, out here. Drowned in the river," he explained. Carey put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh, I feel horrible," she whispered, staring at the spot where John had walked to. She started towards it, then stopped, turning back to George. He nodded, so Carey turned back and continued forward. She saw him kneeling on the ground, gripping his hair tightly with his hands.

"John?" Carey whispered, kneeling beside him

"I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. It was very unprofessional of me," John whispered, wiping a tear from his cheek.

"Talk to me, John," Carey said, sniffling. John continued to shake his head.

"It was my fault," he said, rubbing his knuckles. "Amy, his mother, didn't want him to go. 'Shawn is too young to go camping by himself with his friends' she said. I told her to lighten up. He was 12, let him grow up. I should have known better," John said, finishing his last sentence in a whisper. He looked up at Carey. "They said they were going to stay in Rick's old shack. But they went down to the river, and he fell in..."

John shook his head again and Carey wrapped her arms around him. They stayed that way for a few minutes. Finally, John stood up, bringing Carey with him.

"I swear to you, I will find those boys," he said with such emotion that Carey's heart leapt into her throat.

"John, it's not your fault..." she said, leaning closer to him with sympathy shining on her face.

"I will find them," he said, and he turned and walked back to where everyone else was.

Carey just stood where she was and sighed, wiping her face with the back of her hands. "God, just let me get my boys back," she said. And with that, she walked back to find out what the next step was.

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I hope you liked it!

Please review, it makes me happy!


	12. The ocean needs the waves

I saw Mae the other night, in concert. They were amazing. What's even better...I MET them! The most amazing, friendly and down to earth band you could ever meet. It makes me love them so much more. (In case you haven't guessed, Mae is one of my favorite bands, and where I get all the inspiration to write my stories..Their lyrics and song titles are my story titles).

OK, onto the next chapter. I hope you like it. There will be one more chapter after this one.

This chapter is dedicated to **SillverMedal**. Your Zack-angst awaits!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own TSL or William Beckett...sadly, I don't own William Beckett...

**Chapter 12**

Zack had been awake for about 15 minutes, trying to think of something; some sort of plan. He watched as Cody slept, struggling to breathe due to a cold that had developed the night before, just as Zack was afraid of. Zack also knew that it would slow them down a bit, considering that Cody was a horrible patient; he would moan and groan worse than anyone Zack could think of. He understood, of course, because Cody doesn't get sick often. But when he does, it's usually full blown and quite a nasty thing to witness. So Zack sat where he was, and, as he had been doing for the past two days, tried his best to figure a way out of the mess he had gotten them both into.

Another few minutes passed before Cody began to stir. Zack watched as his eyes fluttered open and he stretched out his arms.

"Morning," Zack said gloomily. Cody greeted him with a sniffle.

"My throat hurts," he said hoarsely. Zack cringed.

"I'm sure we're almost home by now," Zack said, trying to keep the sense of impending doom that was hovering over his head out of his voice. "This river can't be that big. Then we can get you some medicine for that cold, ok, bud?" Cody nodded as Zack watched him wipe his nose on his sleeve. He knew that Cody wouldn't normally do that, but he already looked so horrible. His clothes were dirty, with dried spots of blood on them, along with specs of dirt in his hair. Zack also looked at his swollen foot, which was giving him a hard time when walking. But the worst part of it was that Zack knew he looked exactly the same. He noticed his own filthy hands and made a disgusted face.

"Twins in more ways than one, right?" Cody said, breaking Zack's train of thought.

"What?" Zack asked.

"I know what you're thinking...we look nasty. I call dibbs on the shower when we get back," Cody said playfully, making Zack laugh.

"I'll race ya," Zack said, lightly pushing Cody, who giggled a little. Zack enjoyed the sound of Cody's laugh. However, the next sound wasn't a welcome one.

"Was that your stomach?" Zack asked, opening his eyes wide.

"Heh, yeah," Cody said, rubbing his stomach with his hand. Zack looked around, but he knew he wasn't going to find anything safe enough to eat. He didn't know that much about the outdoors.

"It's ok, Zack, we'll be home soon, and then we can pig out," Cody said lightly, wiping his nose on his shirt again.

Zack eyed his brother carefully. Where was the whining? The crying? All the annoyances that came with Cody being sick? "He doesn't want to upset _me_," Zack thought, feeling a bit disheartened. Still looking at Cody, he noticed the bloodshot, tired eyes, along with the red nose and constant throat clearing that often accompanied a cold. Now, listening to his own stomach growl and feeling the hunger pains, Zack looked over at the river. He knew what to do.

"What if I tried to catch some fish? I'm sure we could start a fire," Zack said cheerfully.

"You're kidding," Cody said, wiping his watery eyes.

"I mean it. What have we got to lose? Besides, I'm starving, and I know you are too, so just lay here for now while I try and catch something," Zack said, looking for something that might help him catch a fish.

"Zack, this sounds dangerous. That water is rushing really fast, and you've never fished before," Cody said, matter-of-factly.

"How hard can it be to catch a fish?" Zack asked, picking up a branch that had some interlocking twigs on the end of itself, making it look similar to a net.

Cody shrugged his shoulders and layed his head back down on the ground, rubbing his thumb and forefinger along the bridge of his nose while Zack went down by the river. Crouching down, he noticed a few fish darting back and forth in the water, but they, along with the water, were going by too fast.

"That one year of boy scouts has to have counted for something," Zack thought, leaning a little closer to the river. Watching a small fish near his feet, Zack swooped his branch quickly in the river, but he didn't catch the fish. Instead, the river current was so strong that it snatched the branch from his hand, making Zack mentally curse.

"Ok, I guess I could just try and grab one.." he said out loud. Holding onto a tree stump with his left hand, Zack saw another fish swim by. Leaning in and supporting his weight with the rotting bark, he dunked his hand into the water and tried to grab onto the slimy swimmer.

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, the branch Zack had been holding cracked, and he was sent flying into the river, head first.

Feeling the weight of the water crashing down on him, Zack struggled to get his head above the water line. He kicked his feet vigorously and tried to grab onto something solid. Finally getting his head above the water, he sputtered and flapped his arms.

"ZACK!"

Zack heard his brother screaming his name and tried to turn his body around in the water to see him. But the pressure of the gushing water kept him from doing so. He was moving fast down the river, but he tried not to panic. The water was crashing all around him, making it hard to see anything. However, a few seconds later, Zack felt his body ram into something hard.

"Ahhh!" he yelled out, feeling a sharp pain in his side. He turned his head to see what he had crashed into; a fallen tree in the water. Feeling the water carrying him away, Zack reached out and wrapped his arms around the tree.

"ZACK!"

Zack twisted his head to his right and saw his brother running wildly down the side of the river.

"Cody!" Zack said, wheezing. He was having trouble breathing.

"Zack, hold on! I'll get you out!" Cody screamed, running to the base of the tree and trying to climb onto it.

"No! It's dangerous!" Zack said, feeling the river pulling his body. He gripped the bark tighter.

"But I don't know how else to get you out!" he heard Cody, who was pulling at his hair, yell.

Having a hard time keeping his head above the water, Zack tried to climb up the tree bark. He used his arms to pull his body up, but his feet wouldn't follow. The water was keeping them down.

Spitting more water out, he tried moving along the side of the tree, towards the river bank. Only having moved about an inch, Zack felt something smash into his leg and cried out again.

"Cody!" he yelled, slipping further down into the water.

"Zack, I'll get you out!" Cody sobbed, looking around frantically.

"Cody, I can't hold on," Zack shouted, his grip weakening. His breathing was becoming more shallow and he could barely hold his head above the water anymore.

"No, Zack! You have to!" Cody cried, trying to reach his hand out to Zack.

Zack felt his grip slipping slowly off the bark.

"Help! Over here! We need help!"

Zack heard Cody's voice one last time before slipping into unconsciousness.

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Hope you liked it, and I hope you review, because I love it when you do!


	13. The clouds are raised

Thank you all so much for your supportive reviews and comments during this story. I'm so happy that it went over so well and that so many of you enjoyed it.

This chapter is dedicated to two people:

**In NYC**: Thank you for all the conversations that we've had about this story. You gave me some great ideas and you're always so supportive of my writing. I appreciate that very much.

**SillverMedal**: You are an amazing writer with amazing ideas, and this story wouldn't have been what it was without you. Thanks for all the PMs telling me to hurry up, lol, and for the helpful ideas for "Destination: Beautiful."

So now, onto the 13th and final chapter of "The Ocean." The story will switch from different points of view. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TSL. I own det. John Mason.

**Chapter 13**

_earlier that morning..._

Carey was waiting outside the police station at 6 o'clock the next morning. Not being able to sleep, she was pacing back and forth, from one end of the building to the other. She didn't have to pace for long, because about ten minutes after she got there, John was pulling up in his squad car. Carey smiled sadly when he got out, watching as John walked up to her.

"Couldn't sleep?" John asked in his raspy voice. Carey shook her head.

"When I drift off, I have nightmares about what might have happened to them," Carey said, rubbing her hand along the back of her tense neck. John pulled her into a hug.

"I'm going to get some coffee made," he said, nodding to Carey after breaking the embrace.

"No need for that, John."

Carey and John turned their heads to see George holding a container of coffee in his right hand, along with Moseby, Maddie and London, walking steadily up to the police station.

"George.." John said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"We decided we should get a head start on the search today," Moseby said, handing Carey a flashlight.

"I've got a few vehicles ready so we can move a little more quickly today, and the paramedics will be following us the whole way. We're gonna find them today, Miss Martin," George said, his voice strong and confident. Carey closed her eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, George," she said, walking up and hugging the Middle-aged police officer.

"Let's get to it, then," George said, handing the coffee to Carey and clapping his hands together.

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_Present..._

Cody sat up and watched as Zack was crouching down by the river, trying to catch a fish. "He is so in over his head," he thought, laughing a little, as Zack's branch was swept down the river. He layed his head back down, trying not to think about the pounding headache that he was dealing with at the moment. He didn't want to complain about it, though. He knew that Zack was doing everything he could to keep his hopes up, and Cody didn't want to be the one to start breaking down.

"Whoa!"

Cody shot up from his lying position and looked over to where Zack had been just a minute before; only now he was gone.

"Wha.." Cody said, shaking his head and getting to his feet. Confused, he limped his way down to where Zack should have been.

"Zack?" he asked cautiously. Was Zack playing a joke on him?

Then he saw Zack's head rushing down the river with his arms flying wildly above them.

"ZACK!" Cody screamed out, feeling his stomach drop to the ground. He began running as fast as he could down the river bank, forgetting all the pain he was feeling in his foot. He saw Zack trying to turn around in the water.

"Ahhh!"

Cody winced as he watched Zack's body crash into a large tree that had fallen into the river.

"ZACK!" Cody called again, running towards the spot where he had crashed. He saw Zack wrap his arms around the tree, trying to keep his head above the water.

"Cody," Zack said, and Cody could hear that he was having a hard time breathing.

"Zack, hold on! I'll get you out!" Cody screamed. He looked at the tree and didn't hesitate, beginning his climb onto the bark.

"No! It's dangerous!" Zack said. Cody stared at him like he was crazy.

"But I don't know how else to get you out!" Cody called frantically. He watched as Zack struggled to get himself higher onto the tree bark, but with little success.

"Cody!"

Cody's heart leapt into his throat. He was just standing there, helpless, watching his brother drown.

"Zack, I'll get you out!" he said, looking wildly around, trying to find something to help him rescue his brother.

"Cody, I can't hold on."

Cody snapped his head back to his brother, and yelled violently, "No, Zack! You have to!" He reached his hand out, trying to grab onto Zack, who was no longer responding to him. Suddenly, Cody heard a motor, along with someone shouting. He jerked his head in the direction of the noise and saw a man with dark hair running towards him.

"Help! Over here! We need help!" Cody cried with tears in his eyes. He watched as the man galloped over to him, gesturing him to move out of the way. Cody obliged, and what he saw next was incredible.

The man maneuvered his body across the tree bark quickly, but carefully. Using his legs to keep his body steady on the tree, he layed down across it and reached his hands out to where Zack was slowly slipping and grabbed him by his arms. Hauling him out of the water, he rested Zack's body against his own and began to make his way back to the river bank. With Zack in one arm, the man used his other arm and his legs to slowly push himself back towards land.

Cody stood in awe, with silent tears spilling from his eyes, when he heard his name being called.

"Cody!"

Cody turned slowly to see his mother flying towards him. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled into a tight hug by his hysterical mother.

"Oh, my baby!" was the mantra she was reciting while kissing him over and over.

"Mom..Z..Zack!" Cody said, hiccuping. He saw his mother turn around and grab her stomach.

"John," she whispered, holding her hand on her forehead. Cody turned back to watch John pull Zack onto the ground. He leaned his ear to Zack's nose and mouth and cried out, "He's not breathing!" Then he started giving Zack mouth to mouth.

Cody fell to his knees and turned to the side, throwing up.

"Cody," Carey said, leaning down and holding onto her other son. Cody looked up and saw a paramedic team rushing over.

"Mom, we can't lose him..I need him," Cody said shakily as the paramedics gathered around the lifeless form of his brother.

Carey was holding a hand over her mouth, the other around Cody, when she began to sway slightly.

"Mom!" Cody cried, grabbing onto her and hugging her again. He turned his head and heard Zack coughing.

"I've got a pulse!" one of the paramedics called, causing the others to laugh a little. Cody didn't understand.

"Is he gonna be ok?" he asked in a slightly higer voice than normal. Carey shook her head.

"I don't know.." she said, dumbfounded. Suddenly, John came walking over to where the two were sitting.

"Hi, Cody, right? You alright?" he asked, extending his hand. Cody looked up at the man that saved his brother's life and slowly shook his hand while nodding.

"John...Zack?" Carey said, managing to get to her feet.

"We got him breathing, Carey. They're going to take him to the hospital right now," John said, hugging her. "Along with you, young man," he added, pointing to Cody. John turned around and called out, "I need a paramedic over here, please."

Cody sat on the ground, trying to take in what just happened. Then it hit him; he almost lost his brother.

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_Three days later..._

Zack was sitting up in his hospital bed watching some TV when the door opened, revealing his brother who came in on crutches.

"Hi," he said brightly. Cody gave him a lopsided smile.

"How are you feeling?" Cody asked. Zack laughed while shaking his head.

"I've told you a million times that I'm fine," he said, scooting over so Cody could sit on the side of the bed. Cody wiped his blonde hair out of his eyes and nodded.

"Well, you were having a hard time breathing, there..it scared me. That broken rib could have punctured your lung, you know, and you would be lying here on a respirator right now, and I don't know if..." Cody began, starting to get himself worked up.

"Cody," Zack said, silencing his brother. "You're rambling again."

Cody sighed. "Sorry," he said. Then he leaned in and hugged his brother as tight as he could without putting too much pressure on his ribs. He waited a minute before breaking the embrace.

"What was that for?" Zack asked.

"Just because," Cody said, shrugging.

Zack was about to say something else when his mother and John walked in.

"How's it going, guys?" John asked, holding out his fist, which both boys knocked into their own.

"Hey, John," they said in unison. Carey kissed both her boys on the head.

"We're going to get your release papers signed in a few minutes, Zack, and then we're gonna head back to the hotel and pack up. London's calling to get the plane ready to leave this afternoon," she said, folding her arms.

"Ok," Zack said, nodding.

"Good," Carey said, then she turned to John. "John, I don't think I can say thank you enough to make up for all that you did for me and my boys."

John laughed and hugged Carey. "It's my Job, Carey," he said.

"Well, just know that you're welcome to come stay with us in Boston anytime," Carey added, nodding her head.

"I might take you up on that," John said with a laugh.

Cody turned to Zack and smiled. Zack returned it with a wink.

"Alright, boys, we're going to sign those papers," Carey said, and she and John walked out of the hospital room. Cody turned swiftly to Zack.

"So..." he said slyly.

"Oh, yeah," Zack said, nodding and smiling.

Both boys burst into laughter before returning their attention back to the TV.

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Ok, this is an open-ended ending..if that makes sense..you can interpret it anyway you want.

I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know!


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